CO885-(1-2) — Page 614

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference -

C.O.885

2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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exceeded 500, and the Comptroller-General has mentioned 'in some of his latest reports that the buildings will admit of properly accommodating as many as 700, though Lord Grey fears that this latter calculation may be somewhat beyond that which it would be prudent to adopt. It also ap- peared too evident that much injury had resulted from a want of sufficiently vigorous and experienced controul-a defect which has now been entirely remedied by the employment of Mr. Price, the present able and efficient Superintendent at this station.

"6. Whilst some of the evils connected with it were those of an adventitious character and have since been remedied, it may be added that the island is not without some considerable advantages as a place of confinement. Surrounded by a dan- gerous surf, and at a vast distance from the nearest inbabited land, it cuts off all hope of escape, and effectually precludes the formidable crimes which are liable to be committed in other situations by runaway convicts and bushrangers. The cultivation of the soil affords an eligible employment for the convicts, and materially contributes towards their sustenance. But, above all, the remote and lonely situation of this small island, in the midst of the Pacific Ocean, while it undoubtedly increases the difficulty of exercising any effectual supervision over those to whom the management of the convict is intrusted, is yet found to have the countervailing advantage of rendering it peculiarly an object of dread to criminals who may have rendered them- selves proof to every other source of fear.

"7. Upon the whole, therefore, adverting to the paramount necessity of finding some such place for the punishment of the most refractory convicts, and the impossibility of devising any plan for disposing of this class of offenders which is not open to some serious objection, Lord Grey is disposed to think that the general fitness of Norfolk Island for the purpose, and the influence which it is considered by the most experienced officers to have upon the minds of the prisoners, may, for a limited number of the worst offenders, make up for the disadvantage of distance in other respects. But his Lordship cannot but add in conclusion, that he believes that

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the benefit of retaining Norfolk Island as a place of punishment of this sort will mainly depend upon restricting within exceedingly narrow limits the number of convicts sent there, and that he trusts, therefore, that if Sir G. Grey concurs in these views, he will give such directions as may be calculated to cause the number of convicts annually sent to Norfolk Island to be as small as possible."

9. A reply was made from the Home Depart- ment on the 12th of November, that Colonel Jebb's special attention would be called to the necessity of reducing within the narrowest limits compatible with the object to be attained, the number of convicts to be sent from prisons in this country to Norfolk Island. On the 16th of No- vember, Colonel Jebb expressed his satisfaction at the proposal to send incorrigible convicts in a penal condition to Norfolk Island, and added the following remarks: "The power of thus dealing with refrac- tory and incorrigible characters is calculated to uphold discipline and greatly diminish those serious crimes which were at a period when there was no adequate power in my hands for repressing them. I have every hope that the number of such offenders

will hereafter never exceed two per cent. upon the number in custody."

10. This closes the correspondence on Norfolk Island.

January 24, 1850.

T. F. E.